Pros Discuss the “Pros” of the MLF Bass Pro Tour format
KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The MLF Bass Pro Tour has built a unique set of rules for professional bass fishing. The basic principle of whoever catches the most weight takes home the trophy stays the same, but many traditional fishing tournament norms were thrown out the window this week.
It may take some time for some fans to get familiar with the new format, but the anglers out there competing are welcoming this fresh approach and adjusting their game plans accordingly.
The 30-minute “pre-roll”
Once the anglers blast off, the first cast is still half an hour away. This is a brand new concept for bass tournaments, and Brandon Palaniuk thinks it’s what intrigues him most, but he sees pros and cons to it.
“The best part is that it allows guys to make a run without losing fishing time in the morning,” said the Idaho pro. “This is something that will affect the game and change how you decide where to start your day.”
On the flipside, it could lead to idle time waiting for “Lines In” to be announced.
“The hard part with this is that if you find something close by you have 30 minutes to do nothing but sit there, you can’t make a cast,” Palaniuk said. “You have to decide if that’s a spot other guys may have found and if you need to stay and protect the area or change your rotation of spots and fish somewhere else first.”
Lines out vs. racing back
Instead of racing back to a weigh-in, anglers now just stop fishing wherever they are when the time runs out. Louisiana pro Cliff Crochet loves that aspect, but says he will have to adjust his thinking.
“In all of the tournaments I’ve ever fished, you have to calculate how long it’s going to take you to get back,” Crochet said. “That changes with locks and rough water and sometimes you could end up wasting time by getting back too soon, or on the other hand you could even lose an event because you were late. From a competition standpoint, I think having a set time to stop fishing is a positive because everyone is fishing the same amount of time.”
Every fish counts
Weighing every fish over 1 pound is a staple of the MLF format, and it’s what Todd Faircloth says is his favorite aspect of the Bass Pro Tour.
“I like the fact that it is a numbers game,” Faircloth said. “Some will say they still like the standard best five-bass format, but if you look back at the history of Major League Fishing, the guy who wins usually has the biggest five fish limit. Now, since we have a practice period, I think guys will be able to fish their strengths more instead of just fishing what they can see. We now have time to use our electronics more and find more places, and I think we’ll see bigger weights because of that.”
Off days
Many of the pros we spoke with like the day off, as it allows them to regroup, rest and get all of their tackle in order without feeling rushed. One Bass Pro Tour pro, Jeff Sprague, would prefer not to have a day off, but still sees a bright side to it.
“I would prefer to have no days off between competition days because the fishing can change day-to-day or even hourly, but the positive is that our voices get in this organization and the possibility of them tweaking the format is possible,” Sprague said. “We could always alternate lakes or do something to make that possible. With this group of guys, we’re in control, and there are so many untapped ideas that we may implement one day.”